Is Egg Freezing the right option for you? Let us take a look at what Egg Freezing is. Egg Freezing, also known as mature oocyte cryopreservation, is a process where the eggs (oocytes) are extracted, frozen and preserved for later use. When the woman wishes to become pregnant in future, the eggs are fertilized, and inserted back into the uterus as embryos.

We at Seed ART Bank agree that taking the decision to undergo the egg freezing process is not easy. Some may think that egg freezing process may not yield effective results. While some may think that the eggs retrieval procedure is a painful procedure. But all these are myths which hold no truth. Here is a list of some FAQs about egg freezing.

Who should consider Egg Freezing?

1. Women who are career-oriented and prefer late pregnancy : As fertility probability declines with age, freezing your eggs at an early age increases your chance for future pregnancy. However, unlike the ovary and eggs, the uterus does not age and is able to attain pregnancy up to 40s and 50s. The frozen eggs are stored at a temperature of -196 degrees. So there are lesser chances of deterioration in the egg quality with time.

2. Women detected with cancer : Egg freezing gives an opportunity to store eggs prior to chemotherapy, surgery or radiation processes. These treatments spoil the eggs quality and may lead to infertility. However, in some cases, productive eggs can be presented after the entire cancer treatment process. The preserving options may vary depending on the age of the patient, type of cancer detected, and the cancer-treatment plan followed.

3. Women with genetic history of early menopause : Few types of early menopause may have genetic links. In this case, Egg freezing makes it possible to store eggs before they get depleted.

4. Women undergoing IVF treatment : Couples who are undergoing IVF treatment can opt for Egg Freezing process if they do not wish to fertilize more eggs. In this case, eggs can be fertilized if they wish to expand their family.

When is the right time for egg freezing?

The simplest answer to pursue egg freezing is in the earliest reproductive years, for example, women in 20s and early 30s – to ensure best quality and quantity of eggs.

A woman is born with a number of eggs, which reduce overtime. This deterioration shows why a woman aged 40 and above only has 5 percent chance of becoming pregnant.

What is the optimal number of eggs to be frozen?

It is always best to be prepared to encounter a percentage of eggs obtained that may not last for a longer duration. So it is recommended to preserving approximately 15-20 eggs at one time. Women at an early age may have eggs available from just one stimulation or freeze cycle. Some women may have to undergo the freeze cycle once or more to reach the goal.

Where are the eggs stored?

Once the eggs are vitrified, your eggs will be placed into liquid nitrogen storage containers for safekeeping. Various Mechanisms are available for safe and long-term storage of your eggs. You may be provided with paperwork needed to assist you in arranging for the transport of your eggs.

How long can the eggs be stored?

Freezing of human eggs is a fresh concept. In the case of eggs of a woman at early age, the frozen embryos are known to survive for approximately 5 years or may be more. In case of man, the human sperm is capable of producing healthy pregnancies for decades.

Is egg freezing possible, if a woman has irregular period cycles?

It is a fact that women with irregular cycles have plenty of eggs and they don’t ovulate often. These eggs are stimulated for freezing similarly like in women with regular period cycles. Initial evaluation includes testing to examine the hormonal and egg status.

What are the risks of Egg Freezing?

Egg freezing process may result in different risks. Excessive usage of fertility drugs during the fertility treatment may harm the functioning of your body. Retrieval of eggs may cause bleeding, infection or damage to bowel, bladder or blood vessels. The general anesthesia given during this process may be a point of concern as well.

At Seed ART Bank, egg freezing program has success rates as high as 50 per cent. With our affiliated fertility clinics, pregnancy rates with frozen eggs are very similar to our IVF pregnancy rates using fresh eggs. Moreover, babies born from frozen eggs are as healthy as natural babies and do not have any risk or birth defects.

What is the Egg Freezing cost in India?

Egg freezing cost involves several factors like timing and so on. If you wish to freeze your eggs with us, it will cost you around Rs 50,000/- excluding taxes at the initial stage of the egg freezing process. Later, it will charge you about Rs 25,000/- annually for storage for the next five years.

Surrogacy can be a miraculous gift, a way for a childless or infertile couple to fulfill their desire to become parents. However, precautions should be taken to ensure that all parties have a positive and healthy experience.

There are top 10 things you must consider before working with a surrogate.

You must have a medical necessity to participate in surrogacy.

Visit an IVF doctor and ask if he or she recommends that you do surrogacy. Keeping your good figure or a stressful high-powered job are not valid reasons to work with a surrogate mother. Most IVF doctors (and all good IVF doctors) will only work with couples that have a medical reason to do surrogacy. There are sometimes psychological issues that can be included, but we consider psychological to be a medical reason.

Psychological counseling for the couple.

See a counselor to discuss if surrogacy is right for you, and if you can actually do surrogacy. Can you allow someone to carry a child for you? There are women who need a surrogate mother, but will try to control every aspect of the surrogate’s life, and this will cause conflicts between them. Seriously consider child-free living, and discuss this option with your counselor.

Psychological counseling and evaluation for the surrogate & her husband or partner.

What is her motivation for becoming a surrogate mother? Has she done surrogacy before, and what went wrong or right that she feels the need to do it again? Does she understand that the couple will be involved in the pregnancy and may have different opinions regarding pregnancy care and treatment? How involved will she allow the couple to be? Get a written psychological clearance on your surrogate mother.

Understand the legal status of surrogacy law

It is crucial to get an independent legal consultation regarding the laws of the state she lives in. If there are any doubts about finalizing your parental rights, DO NOT Proceed. If you plan on having her deliver in another state, DO NOT Proceed, because she could have a premature delivery. All parties should have independent legal counsel represent them, and all parties must sign legal contracts before any medical procedure is undertaken.

All parties should complete a surrogacy questionnaire that is shared with each other.

There should be ongoing psychological counseling for all parties throughout the pregnancy and for at least two months after birth.

The cost of surrogacy

Do you have the financial ability to pay for the pregnancy? Can you cope with the costs of a high-risk pregnancy, premature birth and miscarriage?

At least one parent should be biologically connected to the child being conceived.

If both egg donor and sperm donor are needed with a surrogate mother, be prepared for a far more complicated relationship both legally and psychologically, and ONLY work with a surrogate mother who is a resident in the state of California. California is the only jurisdiction that recognizes such a relationship.

Openly discuss and document everyone’s expectation of the surrogacy relationship.

This is where each party learns what is expected of him or her by the other, and if they can do what is expected of them. They should also discuss the kind of relationship they believe they would want after birth. Many couples and surrogate mothers find they cannot answer this question, because they have never participated in surrogacy before. This is an answer in itself, as it indicates they are open to many possibilities.